Three in one; I make that a Trinity – though possibly not, theologically
speaking, in the case of Perlman’s exploration of Klezmer. This
dates from the period 1995-96 and is marked by this fold out,
sturdy three disc set (two CDs, one DVD) with its Chagall-inspired
cover artwork by Reuven Rubin, painted in 1968 and called Hassidic
Dance.
Let’s start with
the DVD first. Klezmer, the Instrument of Song, is celebrated
internationally now. But back in the mid-nineties when things
were beginning to hot up Perlman visited Cracow where he met
the band Brave Old World, on tour, and learned the idiom. He
‘felt at home’ quickly. Interspersed with the Polish itinerary
we have shots from an obviously convivial New York meal Perlman
had with the wisest of the Borscht Belt wiseacres, Red Buttons,
who alas died in 2006 and Fyvush Finkel. Finkel is a particular
delight. When the time comes he should be stuffed, mounted and
his glass cabinet dragged around New York as a memento of all
that was best in Yiddish Theatre in that city.
Perlman is shown
practising, quipping with fellow Klezmer players – a stellar
lot as one can note. We meet his father, in Cracow and both
father and son meet one of the great players, Leopold Kozlowski
– who speaks Yiddish with Perlman senior. Perlman junior sticks
elsewhere to English and German. We have some shots from Perlman’s
daughter’s wedding and of course a great deal of that fabled
family warmth. The gradual process of absorption of an idiom
felt but not truly experienced is rather fascinating to observe.
Especially top drawer is the ‘startled chicken’ look Perlman
gives when the Klezmatics break out into a really funky groove.
‘What’s happening?’ mouths the delightedly bemused virtuoso
as the electric fiddles saw away. When he brandishes one he
does so with a concerned dynamism.
The CDs put into
practice what the video part of the set has shown us. In
the Fiddler’s House was recorded at the Hit Factory in New
York whilst the second CD, Live in the Fiddler’s House was
recorded at Radio City Music Hall about a year later. There
is plenty of variety both in the bands and therefore instrumentation
and in their approach – whether more traditional, or more challenging.
Perlman negotiates the boundaries nimbly. I took to the loping
waltz of Flatbush Waltz by The Andy Statman Klezmer Orchestra
in a big way but there are pleasurable moments throughout, not
least in the vital clarinet-led pyrotechnics of The Klezmatics,
the command of tempo of Brave Old World or the virtuosity of
The Klezmer Conservatory Band. But really all the bands contain
all these elements in profusion. Whether as orator, Cantor or
obbligatist Perlman lends his classical, Klezmer infiltrated
genius to all tempos and moods. Klezmer and Fado, two very different
musics, share an ability to summon up place, and evoke a rich
emotional response. They both have their long lineage and their
controversies. You’ll need Lisbon for Fado. But you can evoke
something of the excitement of Klezmer, mid-1990s style, in
this set, in which Perlman’s Prodigal returns to his roots.
Jonathan Woolf
see also Review
by Dominy Clements
Itzhak Perlman
(violin) 
55:00] 
